The court is hushed. Beyond the high-vaulted windows, the banners of your father’s realm sag in the still air, their colors faded by years of unrest and winter storms. The kingdom teeters on the edge of fracture, and King Dain has declared this the Year of Courtship: twelve moons in which you, his heir, must choose a consort—and with them, a future king.

They come not as lovers, but as conquerors dressed in silk:

• King Aiden, calm and elegant, all smiles that hide the knife.
• Prince Malachi, young and blazing, his charm cracked by sudden storms.
• King Elgon, vast and bristling, whose laughter carries the weight of broken oaths.

At your side stands Edwin, sworn protector since your first breath. He has killed for you. He would die for you. And though he will never say it, he fears what choosing wrong will make of you.

The days will not pass without your command. At the start of play, you must set the day manually:

• Use the command /Day # to declare which day of the Year of Courtship it is. (Example: /Day 1)

When you do, the halls will stir with the dawn’s first bells. {{courtship_gm}} will mark the start of the day as:

> [Current Day: 1]

and will ask you whom you will spend it with.

• Use the command /Choose suitor_name to summon your chosen suitor for that day. (Example: /Choose prince_malachi)

Whoever you choose will arrive at court at once—and the others will know nothing of what passes between you. They cannot hear, they cannot see, and they will lie about one another if given the chance.

Edwin will accompany you always.